


Fathers and Sons

by realityisoverrated



Series: Infinite Love [167]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Smoaking billionaires, Toliver, flommy, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-13 22:51:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14122554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realityisoverrated/pseuds/realityisoverrated
Summary: Oliver, Felicity, and Tommy attend William's high school graduation party. Not everyone is happy with William's decision to attend SCU.





	Fathers and Sons

**Author's Note:**

> This story depicts a polyamorous relationship between one woman and two men. If this is not something you are interested in, please stop and go no further.
> 
> Gi, thank you for the new title art. I love it!
> 
> This installment is 119/167. The chronological list for the series, with hyperlinks, can be found at http://archiveofourown.org/works/11051019

Artwork by ligiapimenta

 

Tommy had never been good at flying under the radar. Wherever he went, eyes always followed, and William’s high school graduation party was no exception. It was Tommy’s first introduction to William’s extended family and everywhere he turned, he was met by sets of curious eyes and silent judgment. He’d successfully avoided conversations with most people because Bobby and Becca had needed his supervision, but both children were fast asleep in William’s room and he was bracing himself for some awkward interactions. The screened-in porch went silent when Tommy stepped through the backdoor. All eyes turned to him. He smiled, gave a small wave and fled the porch in search of his husband and wife.

It was hard to believe that it had been twenty-four years since his own high school graduation. It didn’t seem possible that he was forty-two. In his head, he was still eighteen. As he’d sat in the audience cheering on William, memories of his own graduation came rushing back. For Tommy, graduation had been a means of escape. He went to Harvard with the hope that he would successfully avoid his father for four years and finally have the relationship he’d always wanted with Oliver. Eighteen-year-old Tommy hadn’t realized it would take another ten years for him to get the first glimpse of the life he’d always wanted. When he overheard the other adult guests wishing they could be in William’s shoes and be at the start of their journey, Tommy had to bite his tongue. He’d never been happier than he was with a husband, a wife, a dog, three kids, and with two more on the way. He wouldn’t trade places with eighteen-year-old Tommy for anything.

He instantly spotted Oliver running across the yard playing soccer with William, his cousins, and friends. Oliver had been wearing a goofy smile on his face all day. William had introduced Oliver to his friends as, my dad. Oliver had been floating ever since.

Tommy’s cell buzzed. He smiled when he saw the text from his wife. **_Save me. I can’t get out of my chair._**

He scanned the yard and found his wife sitting in the shade surrounded by other pregnant women. “Excuse me, ladies. Do you mind if I borrow my wife for a few minutes?”

The group of women giggled in response.

Felicity held out her hands and Tommy helped to hoist her to her feet. The twins made Felicity appear to be much further along than six months. Getting in and out of chairs was starting to become more difficult for her. She was also more tired than she’d been with her other pregnancies. Tommy thought it was because she was busy baking two babies, but she insisted it was because she was old.

Felicity smiled gratefully when she was back on her feet. “Thank you,” she said as he took her hand to lead her away. “I was on the verge of a panic attack.”

Tommy stopped walking so he could look at Felicity’s face. Her voice was scratchy and she sounded congested. She insisted her stuffy nose was caused by allergies and not a cold, but Tommy wasn’t buying it. “Why? What’s going on? Are you feeling okay?”

She shook her head and laughed ruefully, “I’m just feeling a bit old and fat. The next oldest woman over there is twenty-seven. She’s eight months pregnant and she can still see her toes. I don’t remember what my toes look like.” Felicity rubbed her hand over her belly. “What if they think I’m too old to be their mom?”

Tommy placed his hands over her belly. “First, you’re not fat. You’re pregnant with our babies. Second, it’s not possible for our babies not to adore you. They are going to love having you for a mom, just like B2. If they’re going to think anyone is too old to be their parent, it’s going to be Ollie and me.”

Felicity grinned, “That’s true. You are old – er.”

Tommy placed a kiss to her forehead, “Nice save, babe.”

“I really have to pee. They’re doing a jig on my bladder.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, “I swear, they’re going to be ninjas.”

“We better get you in line for the bathroom before the ninjas cause an emergency,” he teased.

Felicity waved to Oliver who was waving to her from across the yard. She looked around for Bobby and Becca. “Did you sell our children to the circus?”

“I did. I got a good price for them too,” Tommy grinned.

Felicity laughed.

“They’re napping in William’s room. Too much sun and excitement. Getting them in bed tonight is going to be fun,” Tommy lamented.

“Sounds like a good job for Oliver,” Felicity said with an exaggerated wink.

The screened-in porch went silent again as Tommy led Felicity back into the house. Before they made it to the kitchen door the silence was broken by an elderly woman in a wheelchair, “Is this the other one?”

Felicity’s fingers flexed in Tommy’s. She led him over to the woman in the wheelchair, and loudly said, “Hello, Mrs. Clayton. How are you?”

“Not dead yet.” Eileen Clayton muttered, her milky eyes on Tommy. “Are you the other one?”

“Eileen Clayton, this is our husband, Tommy Merlyn,” Felicity began her introductions. “Eileen is Sam’s grandmother.”

Tommy extended his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He was pretty sure it wasn’t.

“You’re very handsome,” Eileen told him.

“Thank you,” he responded with bemusement. He’d always been good at charming moms and grandmas. His smile smoothed over a multitude of sins.

“Better looking than the other one,” Eileen continued.

“I agree. I’ve been telling Ollie that for years,” Tommy said with a cheeky grin. The old battle ax wasn’t as loathsome as everyone had warned.

Eileen chuckled at his response. Her eyes narrowed with appraisal, “Your son, he looks like you.”

“We’ve been told that, but he’s all Felicity,” Tommy deflected.

“You’re pregnant, again.” Elieen placed a bony hand on Felicity’s stomach. “Do you know what you’re having?”

“All we know is that there are two of them,” Felicity answered. “Three more months. We can’t wait to meet them.”

Eileen’s eyes lit up, “Twins. You poor thing. I had four children too. It seemed like they were always into something. I don’t remember my thirties. I was so exhausted, I think I sleepwalked through a decade.”

“We consider ourselves blessed to have our five children,” Tommy said. He hated when William was excluded from their child count. It especially bothered him when it was William’s family excluding him from Oliver’s family. William was Oliver’s son, which made him his and Felicity’s son too.

“William should be out of his naughty phase by now,” Eileen countered. “He’ll be starting college and won’t be any trouble for you.”

“I’m pretty sure college is when Oliver entered his naughty phase,” Felicity said with a twinkle in her eyes. “This guy too.”

The smile fell from Eileen’s face, “Yes, I remember. That’s when he got my granddaughter pregnant.”

Felicity glanced nervously around the porch. Mouths hung agape as the other guests watched the slow motion car wreck that was Felicity Smoak on a babble. She returned her attention to Eileen. “William is a lot smarter than Oliver at that age – I mean, Oliver is smart – he graduated with honors with two majors – yes, he was forty, but that doesn’t make him any less smart - but William is smart and much more responsible than Oliver was when it came to girls,” Felicity babbled with panic in her eyes.

Tommy placed his hand on the small of Felicity’s back. “William is a responsible young man, and we couldn’t be prouder or happier that he’s coming to SCU.” He took Eileen’s hand, “It was very nice meeting you. We were on our way to the bathroom.”

“Why didn’t you stop me?” Felicity hissed as she followed Tommy towards the bathroom. “I can’t believe I said that.”

“I didn’t think you were going to bring up the impregnation of her granddaughter,” he said, barely able to keep the smile from his lips.

Felicity pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead, “Oh, god, I discussed Oliver’s teenage sex life. What’s wrong with me?”

Tommy was grateful Felicity hadn’t brought up the fact that Oliver was blackout drunk when William was conceived. “Nothing. You’re perfect. If it wasn’t for Oliver’s wild side, we wouldn’t have William and we wouldn’t trade him for the world, right?”

Felicity smiled with relief. “Right. William is amazing. Hooray for alcohol and promiscuity.”

Tommy kissed her forehead, “Let’s not print those t-shirts yet.” He opened the bathroom door, “I’ll wait for you here – then we can check on the monkeys.”

Tommy was leaning against the wall waiting for Felicity when the door at the end of the hall opened. William’s grandfather, Bill Clayton stood in the doorway and stared at Tommy. The look Bill gave him was so reminiscent of Malcolm that Tommy found himself standing up straight and doing his best not to shuffle from foot to foot. “I’m waiting for Felicity,” Tommy found himself explaining lamely.

“Step into my office. Come have a drink with me.” Bill stepped back and gestured for Tommy to enter.

Tommy spoke to Felicity through the bathroom door before joining Bill in Richard’s office. “Thank you.” Tommy held out his hand, “I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Tommy Merlyn.”

Bill took Tommy’s hand, “Bill Clayton.” He opened a cabinet, revealing a small bar. “Scotch?”

“Thank you.” Tommy took the glass from Bill. “To William.”

Both men drank. When Bill didn’t say anything else, Tommy began to look at the pictures on the wall. Most of them were of William. Some, he recognized, others Sam hadn’t included in the thousands of pictures she’d given to Oliver of William growing up. A picture of William in his baseball uniform made Tommy smile. He set his scotch down to pick up the frame to get a closer look. Sometimes, the resemblance between Oliver and William took his breath away.

“He looks like a Queen,” Bill remarked.

“He does,” Tommy agreed. “He looks like Oliver and Robert.” Tommy bit the inside of his cheek to keep his eyes from welling. Robert would’ve loved to have been there, celebrating his grandson’s high school graduation. It was on the days when he was happiest, he missed Moira and Robert the most. He knew that Oliver was feeling their absence today too.

“For obvious reasons, we were hoping he’d look like a Clayton,” Bill said as he refilled his scotch.

Tommy understood hoping against genetic resemblances. He and Oliver probably both secretly prayed that all their children would look like Smoaks, not Queens, or Merlyns. Much to their chagrin, genetics didn’t care what any of them wanted. He looked at Bill and realized that William’s resemblance to the man in front of him started and ended with one feature, “He has your eyes.”

Bill huffed before tilting his scotch back and draining the glass. “I disagree with William’s decision to attend SCU. It’s sentimental, not smart. He got into Caltech. It’s the better school.”

Tommy, Oliver, and Felicity disagreed with William’s choice too. They’d done their best to convince William to go to Caltech, but he wanted to be closer to Oliver and his siblings. Tommy understood the desire to be surrounded by family. SCU was a top school and a degree from there was nothing to be ashamed of, but it didn’t have the branding of Caltech or MIT. His parents might’ve pushed harder if it wasn’t for the fact that William would come into his trust fund at twenty-five. William would have his choice of job at whatever company he wanted. As much as Bill Clayton wished it wasn’t true, William was a Queen, and that name would open every door to him. It might not be fair, but it was the truth. Tommy refused to give Bill the satisfaction of agreeing with him. “SCU has an excellent engineering program.”

“It’s not Caltech,” Bill said sharply. “No matter how much money Queen Consolidated throws at it.”

“It might not be Caltech today, but with students like William and the money the school is putting towards development, it might be better than Caltech in the future.” It was Felicity’s goal to get SCU into the same league as MIT and Caltech.

“My grandson can’t afford to hang his hat on, one day. If he wants to make a name for himself, he needs to be going to the best school today. There’s no guarantee William’s fortune will still be there when he’s twenty-five.” Bill refilled his glass, “Not everyone has the luxury of throwing away a degree from Harvard and Stanford.”

Tommy chose to ignore the dig about William’s trust fund. He wasn’t sure if Bill didn’t believe there was a trust fund, or if he thought they were going to financially ruin the family within the next six years. “I didn’t throw away my degrees, they’re hanging in our home office,” he managed to say with some levity. “As for William, he’s smart and hard working. It won’t matter where he goes to school, he will be a success.”

“I’m sure it was your father’s dream that you use your degrees and trust fund to be a housewife and a stay at home mom.” Bill swirled his scotch, “I hope William shows more self-respect.”

“I didn’t allow my own dad to shame me, I’m sure as hell not going to let you. I’m proud to be a househusband and stay at home dad. My children are the most important thing in the world to me. I have the luxury of being able to afford to stay home with our children, and I know how lucky that makes me. I don’t think that being a stay at home parent means I’ve wasted my degrees. No matter what William chooses to do with his degree, we will support his choices and be proud of him.”

“I’m sure you can imagine why I get cold comfort from that. The choices you and Oliver have made over the years are hardly ones I want my grandson modeling his after. Alcohol. Drugs. Sex. Nothing about the two of you gives me confidence that my grandson, my legacy is in good hands. My daughter is blinded by your wealth and can’t see how dangerous you are.” The contempt Bill had for Tommy was rolling off him in waves. “Money has made you soft and depraved.”

Tommy tipped back his tumbler of scotch. “Scotch has made you a bully and an ass.” He placed the glass back by the bar. “Thanks for the drink.”

He opened the door and nearly collided with Richard. “Everything okay in here?” Richard asked as he looked between Tommy and his father-in-law.

“Everything’s fine. I need to find Felicity before she thinks I abandoned her,” Tommy said as he stepped around Richard.

“Sam stole her away. She had some presents for the baby,” Richard called after him.

Tommy shoved his shaking hands into his pockets. Bill Clayton was way too much like Malcolm for Tommy’s liking. His entire conversation with Bill was like having a flashback to the numerous fights he’d had with his own dad. If William’s whole family was like Bill, Tommy wasn’t surprised he wanted to move to Starling to be closer to Oliver. Their love for William was unconditional, not predicated on his accomplishments or meeting arbitrary expectations. They wanted William to be a good person, and they wanted him to be happy. The last time Tommy looked, William was both.

Tommy went upstairs to check on Bobby and Becca. Both children were still sound asleep on William’s bed. He leaned against the doorframe to watch them sleep. His children had a way of centering him and banishing all thoughts of Malcolm from his mind. He was never going to repeat the pattern he’d been raised with. His children would never fear that they weren’t good enough or that his love for them was conditional.

“They still asleep?” Richard whispered as he approached holding two beer bottles.

“Yeah, William wore them out.”

“You look like you needed a drink,” Richard held out a beer.

Tommy accepted the beer Richard held out towards him.

Richard closed William’s bedroom door and gestured to the stairs. “Step into my office.” He sat down on the top step. Tommy sat two steps below Richard, with his back to the wall. They tapped their bottles together and took a drink.

Richard grimaced, “My father-in-law is a -”

“Jerk,” Tommy supplied.

Richard smirked, “I was going to say asshole, but we can go with jerk.”

Tommy chuckled, “I like your word better.”

“In all the years I’ve known him, I don’t think Bill has had a kind word to say to anyone,” Richard commiserated.

“Bill didn’t hurt my feelings. I’m not too happy to think he’s sharing any of his thoughts with William.” Tommy hated to think that their son was being subjected to the cruel musings of a bully who cared more about himself than for William.

“Bill didn’t like me when Sam and I first started dating,” Richard said. “I still don’t think he likes me – at best, he tolerates me.”

Tommy chuckled as he realized how lucky he was with his own father-in-laws. Robert had loved him. Walter had grown to love him. Quentin was stuck with him, but Tommy was fairly certain he was loved, despite all protests to the contrary. Only Noah was a miss in the father-in-law lottery.

“What’s so funny?” Richard asked.

“I have four father-in-laws, and only one of them is an asshole,” Tommy responded before taking a swig of beer.

Richard’s brow furrowed, “Four?”

“Ollie’s dad, Robert is gone, but we got along. Ollie’s step-dad, Walter, is awesome. Felicity’s dad isn’t ever going to get a mug that says, world’s best dad. Her step-dad,” Tommy shook his head and laughed, “is the father of my ex – and even with that – he’s a great guy who actually likes me.”

“There you are.” Oliver appeared on the landing between the first and second floor. He smiled at Tommy as he climbed the stairs, “I was going to check on B2.”

“They’re still asleep,” Tommy said.

“What are we talking about?” Oliver asked as he sat on the step beneath Tommy. Tommy offered him his beer and Oliver took a drink.

“We are comparing father-in-laws,” Richard answered.

“Oh, mine is the absolute worst,” Oliver said with a large smile and a wink for Tommy.

Tommy laughed, “No arguments from me. Your father-in-law is the absolute worst.” He smiled apologetically at Richard, “We have a dark sense of humor in this family. Ollie and Felicity got screwed in the father-in-law department. I’m lucky they married me.”

“Well, I have to say, Bill is not a –,” Richard struggled for the right word.

“Mass murderer,” Tommy supplied.

Richard grimaced, “Bill is not mass murderer, but he is a major asshole.”

“Oh, thank God.” Oliver dropped his head to Tommy’s arm. “I thought it was just me he hated.”

“Oh, he definitely hates you the most,” Richard said, struggling to keep a straight face, “but the rest of us aren’t far behind.”

“He’s unhappy that William has decided on SCU. He thinks I’ll be a corrupting influence,” Oliver said, his finger worrying the label on his beer bottle.

“Like I said, Bill’s an asshole.” Richard took a drink of his beer. “Sam and I aren’t worried about you being a corrupting influence.”

“But you are worried about something?” Oliver asked softly.

“When Will was Bobby’s age, he would ask for a baby brother for every holiday and birthday. Sam and I hadn’t been married long, we were still young, and money was tight. It wasn’t the right time to have a baby. By the time we were ready for a baby, Will was going through a rough phase. He was struggling with not knowing who his biological dad was. We fought – about everything. He challenged me at every turn. We were – I was worried that if we had a baby, Will would think it was because I didn’t love him – that he wasn’t enough for me.”

Tommy reached for Oliver’s hand. Richard was describing a fear that Oliver had recently experienced when they’d decided to get pregnant for a third time.

“I don’t need to tell you that William knows that you love him, or that he loves you. I promise, I’m not looking to steal his affection or to replace you,” Oliver said earnestly.

Richard smiled weakly, “Frankly, you’re not the one I’m worried about.”

“Who are you worried about?” Oliver asked with confusion.

Richard pointed his finger down the hallway, “That little guy.”

Tommy and Oliver turned to see a sleepy-eyed Bobby standing in front of William’s door. He was rubbing his eyes and looked disoriented.

“Hey, little man. Did you have a good nap?” Tommy asked gently.

Bobby shuffled to the head of the stairs and smiled lazily at his dads. He held out his arms and Tommy lifted him onto his lap. Bobby shook his head, “Daddy.”

Oliver placed his beer bottle on the step and took Bobby from Tommy. Bobby settled against Oliver’s chest and instantly fell back to sleep. Tommy retrieved the beer and took another drink.

“Even though they’re so much younger, they’re exactly what William always wanted. He’s head over heels with Bobby. As long as his siblings are in Starling, he’ll never come home.” A sad smile spread across Richard’s face, “In the beginning, I was worried that you’d lure him away with all the things you could buy him, but it wasn’t the money, it was this little guy. You’ve given him what we didn’t - siblings.”

William bounded into view like an enthusiastic puppy. He stopped short on the landing, a frown tugging on his lips. “What’d I do?”

Richard raised his eyebrows, “Why? What’d you do?”

William looked between Richard, Oliver, and Tommy. He shrugged, “My three dads are having a convention.”

“We’re talking about grandpa,” Richard said, letting William off the hook.

William visibly relaxed and took a seat on the stairs. “Was he complaining about Caltech again?”

“I think he’ll be complaining about Caltech for the rest of his life,” Richard said, ruffling William’s hair.

“I’m not changing my mind,” William said with conviction.

“We’re not asking you to,” Richard responded calmly. “You’re an adult now and we trust you to make your own decisions.”

“Can I get a motorcycle?” William asked cheekily.

“No,” Richard, Oliver, and Tommy said together.

William looked at Oliver and Tommy with disbelief. “You both have motorcycles.”

“I’m about to purchase a minivan,” Tommy said sadly. “My days of riding a motorcycle are behind me.”

When William looked at Oliver, he shrugged, “When you graduate, have a job, and can support yourself – we’ll see if your mom says okay.”

“I want a motorcycle too,” Bobby announced.

“When did you wake up” Oliver tickled Bobby’s sides.

Bobby squirmed as he giggled, “I want a motorcycle.”

“Have you met your mom?” Tommy asked.

“Daddy, tell mommy to let me have a motorcycle,” Bobby continued to giggle.

Oliver, Tommy, and William laughed. “Same question as your dad’s. Have you met your mom?” Oliver asked.

“If I can’t have a motorcycle, can I have a car?” William asked hopefully.

“No cars on campus in your first year,” Oliver recited SCU’s policy.

“You can drive my minivan any time you want,” Tommy offered with a grin.

“Gee, thanks,” William mumbled. “I’m sure the girls will love it.”

“Let’s worry about your grades, before we worry about impressing the women on campus,” Richard teased.

“Emma is pretty,” Bobby told Richard.

“Who’s Emma?” Richard asked.

Tommy put a hand over his mouth as he watched William’s ears turn bright red. William had met Emma a few times, and he clearly had a crush on her.

“She’s my friend,” Bobby explained to Richard. “She takes me to school every day. Her hair is the color of fire and she likes Star Wars.”

Richard smiled, “Emma sounds great.”

“She goes to SCU. She can be William’s friend too,” Bobby said. “She said William is nice.”

“She did?” William asked eagerly. “When?”

Bobby scrunched his nose, “I don’t remember.”

“There you all are,” Sam said peering through the railing. She poked William, “I asked you to get your dads, not hide with them.”

“Sorry, I forgot,” William apologized.

“Dad wants to get grandma home, she won’t leave until William opens his presents,” Sam told Richard.

“Presents?” Bobby asked with excitement.

“Want to help me open them?” William held out his hand to Bobby.

Bobby grabbed William’s hand and climbed off Oliver’s lap, “Yes.”

William lifted Bobby onto his back and ran down the stairs to his waiting presents. Richard followed after the boys.

Tommy handed the beer back to Oliver, “Go watch him open his presents. “I’m going to wake up Becca or we’ll never get her to sleep tonight.”

“I don’t want to stay too late. Felicity’s tired, and I think she’s coming down with a cold,” Oliver said.

“I can take Felicity and the kids, you can stay as late as you want,” Tommy offered.

Oliver wrapped his arms around Tommy’s waist and pulled his husband close. “I remember our high school graduation. We definitely didn’t want our parents around.”

Tommy laughed as he wrapped his arms around Oliver’s neck, “For all our sakes, I really hope William won’t be spending tonight like we did.”

Oliver nuzzled Tommy’s neck. “It wasn’t all bad.”

Tommy’s fingers scratched the nape of Oliver’s neck as he remembered the night of their high school graduation, “No, it definitely wasn’t all bad. You were one hell of a kisser.”

Oliver’s lips brushed Tommy’s, “Past tense?”

“Are you fishing for compliments, Oliver Queen?” Tommy teased.

“Do you need a reminder?” Oliver nipped Tommy’s bottom lip gently.

“Always,” Tommy sighed against his husband’s lips.

The last six months had been happy. All the stress from the fertility treatments seemed to melt away when they saw the beating hearts of the twins during Felicity’s first ultrasound. Everything felt like it was finally back on track, and they could start focusing on the arrival of the twins, and William moving to Starling.

Becca’s soft cries penetrated Tommy’s bliss Oliver gentled their kiss.

“I want to pick up from here tonight,” Oliver said breathlessly.

“Works for me,” Tommy said as he reluctantly pulled himself from Oliver’s arms. “I’m coming, sweetheart,” Tommy called out to Becca.

“Daddy,” Bobby shouted from the bottom of the stairs, “William won’t start without you.”

Tommy and Oliver moved in opposite directions on the stairs. It felt good to be back in synch with Oliver. Today was a great day and Tommy believed it was the first of many his growing family had to look forward to.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated. 
> 
> Things continue to be a bit crazy here. Updates might be a little sporadic for the next few weeks, but I'm still here.
> 
> Prompts are encouraged.
> 
> You can also come say hi to me on tumblr. I'm always happy to answer questions about this verse or anything else Arrow. http://realityisoverrated-fic.tumblr.com


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